📋 Case Study
Sierra Nevada Wind Farm Decommissioning & Sagebrush Reintroduction
Sage-grouse habitat fragmentation and soil compaction from legacy access roads
🏗️ Project Overview
12-turbine repowering project in Mono County, CA
🎯 Challenge
Sage-grouse habitat fragmentation and soil compaction from legacy access roads
🔧 Design Approach
Phased removal with on-site blade shredding; native Artemisia tridentata seed bank integration and micro-topographic contouring
📐 Key Calculations
Habitat Connectivity Index (HCI)
(Core Habitat Area × Corridor Width) / Total Fragmentation Length
Result: 7.2
Target >6.5 for viable sage-grouse movement
Soil Bulk Density Reduction Target
Pre-remediation BD − Post-remediation BD
Result: 0.45 g/cm³
Restores infiltration capacity to pre-construction levels
📊 Results
92% native plant cover at 24 months; 37% increase in avian biodiversity index; $1.2M avoided off-site disposal costs💡 Lessons Learned
- •On-site mechanical blade processing eliminated transport emissions
- •Micro-contouring reduced erosion by 68%
- •Seed banking required 18-month lead time
✅ Key Takeaways
- 1On-site mechanical blade processing eliminated transport emissions
- 2Micro-contouring reduced erosion by 68%
- 3Seed banking required 18-month lead time